Replace Freezer Gasket

Home repair expert Henry Harrison helps a guest who has a problem with her freezer door popping open when the refrigerator door is shut by replacing the freezer gasket.

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Materials and Tools:

putty knife
nut driver
combination square
hair dryer
clean towel
replacement freezer gasket

Steps:

1. First use the combination square to see if the doors are properly aligned. Measure the gap between the freezer and refrigerator doors at several points, and also check the gap between the freezer door and the side of the appliance.

2. Turn the freezer off. If you have any food in the freezer, either transfer it to a cooler or seal the cold in the freezer with a sheet of plastic.

3. Take down the model number of your refrigerator and buy a replacement gasket. If the gasket has a kink in it when you remove it from the packaging, work out the king by heating it with a hair dryer. Use a low-heat setting on the dryer and be careful not to get it too close to the gasket.

4. Pull back the lip of the gasket and use a nut driver to free the gasket.

5. Only remove enough nuts to free half the gasket. If you remove them all, the tray inside the door will also come off and it will be difficult to realign everything.

6. Wipe the area clean, then use a putty knife to slip the new seal under the tray. Once you get it started, work around the gasket into place around the door. Remove and replace the retaining nuts as you go. Pay close attention to the corners so they're aligned properly.

7. Test the door.